Ribbon spooling systems are used for a wide variety of applications, including, for example, credit card printing systems and other systems. In particular applications, it may be beneficial for the ribbon spooling systems to use more than one ribbon spool mounted on a payout core/reel that dispenses the ribbons to a takeup core/reel. However, a number of challenges are presented with the use of two or more ribbon spools. Differences in the initial diameter of the ribbons on the spools or in the thicknesses of the ribbon materials can cause problems in maintaining a constant tension in both ribbons due to unequal payout of ribbon materials. Such problems become more apparent when considering the cumulative effects of the differences in diameter and/or ribbon thickness. Ultimately, a conventional payout reel rotating both of the unequal ribbon spools will cause a lack of tension in one of the ribbons.
Proper ribbon tension in tape and ribbon spooling systems can be important. For example, in an impact printer with a moving print head having an inked ribbon suspended between the print head and a record medium (such as paper or card stock) by two guides (located on either side of the printer), the ribbon generally needs to be suspended at a proper constant tension. Insufficient ribbon tension may result in sloppy and inaccurate printing to the record medium and other printer malfunctions. Excessive ribbon tension, on the other hand, can cause stalling of the ribbon take-up spool, curling or improper winding of the ribbon onto the take-up spool, or breakage of the ribbon. As such, improved systems and methods for controlling tension in a ribbon spooling assembly would be beneficial.